Spinning-top.



rim-724,664. PATENTED'APR. 7,1903.

.' F. L. 000K.

SPINNING TOP. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 13, 1901.

' NOMODEL.

. l v, \Q, a /iV WM W UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS L. COOK, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO PETER S. KINSEY, WALTER KINSEY, AND JAMES H.

BURT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPINNING-TOP.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 724,664, dated April '7, 1903.

Application filed May 13,1901. Serial No. 59;!314. N model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS L. COOK, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Springfie1d,in the county of Hamp- 5 den and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spinning-Tops, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in To spinning-tops, the object being to produce an attractive and novel top at comparatively small expense and one which is capable of being conveniently spun by the use of an ordinary spinning-cord.

I 5 The invention consists in a top or body, a

handle, and an annular member which surrounds a portion of the handle and to which rotary motion is to be given by the spinningcord, and which is constructed with reference to the top-body to have a frictional engagement therewith, so that when the said rotatable part hasarapid rotary motion given thereto the top-body therewith engaged will partake of such motion, it being understood that after the spinning motion is imparted to the top proper the handle'and the top-engaging member thereof become or are separated from the top.

The invention consists also in certain particular constructions and combinations of parts, all substantially as hereinafter described, and set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which the present invention is 5 illustrated as embodied-in several specifically different constructions of tops, all of which, however, have common novel characteristics and features of invention, the Figures 1, 2, and 3 being all central vertical sec- 40 tions.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

In the drawings, A represents the body or top proper, the same being shown as a whist- 5 ling top having in its upper portion the chamber a, upwardly opening to the upper surface of the top and having at the orifice near such upper surface the annular ledge 10, outside of which is the upstanding circular portion Z) shown as constituted by comparatively narrow annular lip or rib which is downwardly widening or expanding, as shown. The metallic whistle c, of common construction and circular form, is seated on the aforesaid ledge, marginally fitting closely to the inner side ofthe aforementioned rib. From the chamber a the holes 01 lead radially, whereby suction may be given in the chamber a when the top is rapidly spun for producing the noise by the whistle.

The aforementioned upstanding rib is formed in a practicable manner by turning, agroove e being formed circularly around the same.

B represents the handle, which is separate from the top proper, and it has at its lower portion adapted to rotate relatively thereto, but restrained against separation endwise therefrom, the sleeve-like part 0, externally formed and adapted at the portion f, for instance, to receive the winding thereon of an ordinary spinning-cord. The lower portion of the sleeve-like part 0 is of inverted-cup shape, such part comprising the depending annular rib g, which is made flaring, preferably, and essentially having a frictional fit down over the part b. The handle B, as shown in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 3, has a spindlelike lower portion it, about which'the axially smooth-bored sleeve-like part G is fitted for free rotation. In the lower end portion of the said part 0, but above the depending flange or rib g,is the countersunk socket i, in which is accommodated the sleeve j, which is affixed on the lower end of the spindle of the handle and which serves to restrain the handle and sleeve from being separated endwise the one from the other.

All of the parts of the top with the eXception of the whistle and the peg may advanta- 9o geously be of wood, and the shoulder constituting sleeve j may be either driven on the end portion of the spindle with a tight fit or it may be glued thereon.

Bringing the sleeve member of the handle 5 into the frictional engagement with the top, as shown in Fig. 1, and winding the sleeve with the spinning-cord, the top is inreadiness to be spun. Now grasping the handle B with one hand and sharply pulling the free end of too the cord the sleeve, and therewith the top, will be rapidly rotated, and, care being taken, preliminarily, in placing parts 0 and A into engagement with the proper degree of crowding force for frictional binding, immediately the rapid motion is acquired by the top the latter willbecome self-separating from the sleeve member, which is carried by the handle. A

little experimenting will soon indicate just about how tightly parts 0 and A should be crowded into engagement the one with the other; but in order to provide in the top mechanical means controlled by the operator for causing with certainty the separation of the parts when the top is spun provision is made in the top constructed, as shown in Fig. 2, for a lost motion endwise of the handle B relatively to its sleeve-like part 0, so that at the time of or immediately after the cord is pulled to rotate the sleeve the handle may be forced endwise, so that the attenuated stem 71.2 of its spindle will force the top downwardly and out of engagement with the sleeve. As shown, said stem 71.2 is of such length as to project down through the central hole of the whistle, through the chamber a, and through the opening or passage a therebelow for contact against the upperend of the peg m, which being metallic and the parts being of slight contacting area insure the avoidance materially of retarding friction in the operation which produces the spinning or which produces the separation of the top from the handle and its adjuncts.

In Fig. 3 the top is shown as constructed with a separate plunger 7L3, playing through the handle B, the lower end of which when the parts are assembled or frictionally engaged is adjacent the upper surface of the top or the metallic whistle provided thereto. By pressing the plunger downwardly after the sleeve (J has been rotated the lower end portion of the latter has a forcing action against the upper end portion of the top.

I regard the construction shown of having the circular whistle marginally seated on the ledge and fitting closely within the annular rib b a very desirable arrangement, for extreme cheapness inarticles of this character being important. It will be appreciated that the repeated inwardly crowding by the inverted cup 9 against the rib b will tend to force the rib to an assured interlocked engagement with the margin of the whistle, so that no other fastening means therefor will be required.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with a top having a circular portion at the upper part of its body, of a handle, and an annular member rotatably mounted thereon, provided witha depending annular flange wedge-shaped in cross-section adapted to frictionally engage said circular portion of the top-body, and having a cord-receiving part.

2. The combination with a chambered top havingcircular portions separated by a groove at the upper part of its body, of a handle, and an annular member rotatably mounted thereon, provided with a depending annular flange adapted to enter said groove, in the chambered body, and frictionally engage the walls of said groove.

3. The combination of a top and a separate handle having an annular member rotatably mounted thereon, said member and top pro-' vided with flange-and-groove constructions, the flange being arranged to enter said groove and engage both walls thereof by frictional engagement for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with the top having a concentric circular portion at the upper part of its body, of a separate handle having a member engaged with, and rotatable relatively to the handle, having its lower portion constructed of inverted-cup form, such portion and the said circular upper portion of the top being adapted for frictional engagement, and a part of said handle having relatively to the rotatable members sliding longitudinal movement through said member whereby it may be forced against a portion of the top to break the frictional engagement between the latter and the said memberprovided to the handle.

5. The combination with the top-body having at its upper portion the concentric circular portion, and having in its lower end a me tallic peg, and constructed with an axial opening leading from its top downwardly to the upper end of the peg, of the separate handle having a spindle at its lower portion, an extension of which is adapted to extend downwardly into proximity to the peg, and the annular or sleeve-like mem ber surrounding, and rotatable relatively to the spindle, and also having sliding longitudinal movement relatively thereto, and constructed at its bottom with the inverted-cnp-shaped portion adapted to frictionally engage the said concentric circular portion of the top-body and means for limiting the endwise movement of the spindle relatively to the sleeve-like member, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a spinning-top, the wood top proper having in its upper portion a concentric chamher, at the upper orifice of which is an annular ledge, outside of which is an annular downwardly-widening rib or lip constituted by an integral portion of the wooden body, and having the radial suction holes, the whistle seated on said ledge and marginally fitting the inner edge of said rib combined with the handle, and the sleeve-like part engaged therewith and rotatable relatively thereto, and constructed with the lower inverted-cup-like portion to engage over the said rib inducing a crowding tendency by the latter for constriction about the whistle.

Signed by me at Springfield, Massachusetts, this 10th day of May, 1901.

FRANCIS L. COOK.

Witnesses:

WM. S. BELLows, M. A. CAMPBELL. 

